Christmas Adventure Box

We are trying a new thing this Christmas.  I saw this neat idea called a Christmas Adventure Box.  Here's the link:  http://christmasadventurebox.blogspot.com/  Basically you have a shoebox and lid wrapped up in Christmas paper and every day you put one gift inside of it that has a symbolic lesson to go with it that focuses on Christ.  We're so excited to try it out!  Since Don has almost the whole month off for vacation, (except for Christmas, of course), it will be really fun to do each day together.  We're going to have our family Christmas on the 20th, so I did some adjustments so we would be ending on that day and so that it fit our particular family.  I always refer to the original site to remind me of which scripture verses go with each activity and the different discussions.  We're also not necessarily doing each of these on that particular day.  Certain ones depend on weather and such.  But it's a list of what we will be doing, at least.  Here is a brief outline of our adjusted plans:

December 1---read Legend of the Christmas Tree---Ornament for each child

December 2---The Census---A package of PB M&Ms candy

December 3---The Stable---Unbreakable nativity stable and animal figurines (and manger, if separate)

December 4---Joseph and Mary---Unbreakable nativity figurines of Joseph and Mary

December 5---Baby Jesus---Unbreakable nativity figurine of baby Jesus

December 6---Shepherds and Angels---Unbreakable nativity figurines of shepherds and angels

December 7---The Magi---Unbreakable nativity figurines of three "wise men"

December 8---Family Skit---Bible time costumes (towels, bands, robes, etc.)

December 9---Let the Children Come---baby photos of each child

December 10---"Surprise Ride!" (Let your light shine)--- Go look at Christmas lights - A note or set of keys 

December 11---Pass the Blessing-- bag of PB M&M's

December 12---Legend of the Candy Cane---Candy Canes

December 13---Christmas in Mexico-- Sturdy book

December 14---"Surprise Ride!" (go to another’s home and let them share testimony of Christ)---A note or set of keys

December 15---Santa Claus---Socks with a few pieces of candy in each

December 16--- Love One Another – family service project – make cards for sick children -  paper heart cut out

December 17---"Surprise Ride!" (Songs of blessing) go Christmas caroling in neighborhood and pass out treats ---A note, or keys, or CD of your favorite Christmas music

December 18---Thankful - write letters and mail to people telling them why we are thankful for them---Paper, pens, markers

December 19---We are God's Creations---Cookie cutter, cut-out cookie dough and cookie decorations)

December 20---Bible and testimony

A Christmas Carol

We had gotten tickets to see "A Christmas Carol" performed at the Ohio Theatre the night after Thanksgiving.  We got the book out by Charles Dickens and read it as a family the week before.  The language is very sophisticated so I wasn't sure how much the children would understand, but I was surprised how much they did without me having to explain.  It was over Ashley's head, although she did notice a few parts and comment on them.  Alexis and Emily, however, were enthralled with it.  They kept asking questions about different parts and making observations I was surprised they noticed.  At one point the book talked about how the spirits who had made bad choices in this life were doomed to wander the earth and how this was so bad because they could see all these people who needed help and yet were unable to help them now, when they could have helped them in life but didn't.  Emily made the comment, "But Mommy.  Jacob Marley helped Scrooge, didn't he?  So he could do good for others even though he was dead, right?"  :)  The night of the play the older two girls were so excited and Ashley was SO tired.  :)  We all drove to Columbus and went to the theater.  The girls hadn't been downtown at night for quite some time and were so excited to see the big buildings all lit up and all the sparkling lights.  Emily was especially thrilled and said it was just like the city in Curious George books.  We all were seated and the show started.  I was amazed that Ashley stayed awake the entire first act.  She really loved it and even found Scrooge to be quite humorous at times and she would giggle and giggle at him.  The second act, however, she finally gave up and fell asleep on me.  The other girls LOVED the play as did Daddy and I.  It was well done and was quite an enjoyable evening.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

For Thanksgiving this year we gathered at Grandma and Grandpa's home.  Nana and Papaw were supposed to come but while they were visiting Aunt Dana, Uncle Dave's mother passed away so they stuck around to help tend to the children.  So it ended up being just us.  On Monday before we left we had FHE on gratitude and played a fun pictionary type game on what we were thankful for.  We also made rolls with little strips of paper in the middle where we had all written down what we were thankful for.  The girls loved opening them up and seeing who's strip was there.  On Tuesday we baked a few things we were going to bring with us.  We made some cookies and pies.  I made a pumpkin cheesecake pie and Emily and Ashley helped me.  They dumped and stirred and did practically the whole thing themselves.  Alexis wanted to make a pumpkin pie from scratch this year completely on her own and she did.  It turned out beautifully and everyone agreed it was so yummy!  On Wednesday we left first thing in the morning and headed down to Grandma's.  We got there and helped Grandma bake things the rest of the day.  It was so fun hanging out in Grandma's kitchen with the girls and sharing stories and memories.  Ashley was fascinated at one point with my mom's china cabinet and all the little glass things inside of it.  So Grandma pulled her on her lap and sat down in front of it, opened it up and showed her all the pretty things.  On Thursday morning we got up, dressed, and watched the Macy's Day Parade while we cooked the last minute stuff.  The girls loved seeing all the pretty floats and especially loved seeing Santa at the end.  We ate around noon and everything turned out delicious.  We all shared what we were thankful and fun visiting and feasting.  Later in the afternoon after we had relaxed a while we played some Thanksgiving games and had a play.  First we did the play and everyone ended up having parts and participating, which was so fun.  The girls and I had made paper Indian headbands and pilgrim hats and so we all divided into Pilgrims and Indians and acted out the first Thanksgiving.  After that we played Mayflower and New World game.  For that one person is blind folded and stands on one end of the room while the other person is "The New World" and stands on the other side.  Other people are "rocks" and sit in between them.  The New World's job is to direct the blindfolded Mayflower across the room and into their arms.  It's tricky enough as it is, but even trickier when some of the rocks (Uncle Jason and Daddy), like to move around and tickle you as you try to cross the ocean.  ;)  After that we played pin the feathers on the turkey.  Then our last game ended up being the favorite.  We all went out back and on person was the turkey.  Everyone closed their eyes while the turkey hid and then we all went on a turkey hunt to see who could grab the turkey first.  They LOVED this game.  Especially Emily.  She kept asking to play it over and over.  The favorite time was when Daddy was the turkey and hid way up high in the tree.  That evening we visited more, watched a movie or two and relaxed some more.  The next day we packed up to head home but stopped by Nana and Papaw's house first.  They had gotten home the night before.  We visited there a while and a few cousins came over to play.  Then we headed home.  It was a very nice Thanksgiving and we enjoyed every minute of it.  :)

Operation Christmas Child

We made boxes for Operation Christmas Child this year.  The girls were so excited to fill their boxes!  They each chose to do one for a little girl their own age.  So that meant we had two boxes filled for girls 5-9 and one box filled for a girl 2-4.  I took them shopping and they picked out their own items of what they wanted their child to have.  They did a great job and were so excited to send them.  We printed off tracking labels so we'll get an e-mail telling us what country the boxes ended up at.  We dropped them off at a Methodist church close our home.  The lady was thrilled that we gave the boxes and took our picture and gave the girls some candy.

What do you do With a Cardboard Box?

First they decided it was a boat.  They sailed the seas for a while and then it magically transformed into a train.  Up and down the halls the rode, pushing each other and zooming along the railroad tracks.  Then it turned into a bed where Ashley was tucked in and Emily read her a story book.  Then they both decided to cuddle down together and pretend to sleep.  After a while Emily came to get me and told me she had an early Christmas present for me.  So I came over and opened the box and inside was Alexis and Ashley, giggling.  Then later that day I found the box turned up vertically and Alexis sitting inside of, cuddled up with a blanket and knitting.  So many uses for a cardboard box around here.  :)

Arts and Crafts Cart

Our girls love doing art.  Up until recently I have kept some supplies in a big closet upstairs and some supplies in a hutch in our music/library room.  It was rather inconvenient for the girls to get stuff out and I was always having to help them.  So one day at Big Lots I saw these carts on sale VERY cheap and knew they would be perfect.  So I brought them home, did some labeling and organizing, and set them up in the kitchen right across from the table.  It's been a couple of months now and all three girls have been THRILLED with this new arrangement and have been able to help themselves to supplies whenever they want and have been creating twice as much stuff as they usually do.  :)

Playing in Leaves

It was such a beautiful day outside today that we spent most of it outdoors enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.  We did our lessons outside and played A LOT!  In the early afternoon I asked the girls if they'd like to make a leaf pile to jump and play in.  The loved the idea so we set to work raking it up.  After a little while we had a huge pile of leaves and they had a blast jumping and hiding in them.  We added more each time after they jumped so it kept getting bigger.  At one point I decided I was missing out on the fun so I joined them and jumped in the pile, as well.  Then we all sort of cuddled in the middle of the pile of leaves and talked about different things like Thanksgiving and how they want to do a Thanksgiving play this year and how we can make them some costumes.  I love days like these.  :)

Climbing Trees at Grandma's

We went to visit Grandma and Grandpa for a few days for Grandpa's birthday and some more Halloween fun.  The girls had a great time trick or treating, watching movies, playing with our old toys, playing with grandparents, and having birthday fun.  Grandma is the 8-11 year old teacher at church and so she got to be Alexis' teacher and Emily went ahead and joined the class, as well.  They were so excited to have Grandma for a teacher.  There were a few days where the weather was absolutely beautiful so we played outside in the yard quite a bit.  There's a nice little climbing tree and all the girls took turns climbing it.  Alexis got pretty far up the tree, Emily had no desire to go past the first branch, and Ashley had desire, but simply was too little to do it.  ;)  Emily did help her go a little higher, though, and that made her happy.  They also collected leaves and pine cones and made some art projects with them.  We always have so much fun at Grandma and Grandpa's house!